Whistler and Vancouver Headshots

Our on-location photo studio for formal headsets and business portraits.

David Buzzard Photography is a premiere Whistler and Vancouver headshot photographer. Providing studio photography in our Whistler photography studio, and on-location services through out the lower mainland for Vancouver headshots and business portraits.

In advertising, this would be the product shot. Visually, it’s the most important part of a commercial. More time and care is put into a product shot than any other moment in a typical commercial.

Nothing makes people want to buy more than a beautiful photograph of the product.

The same applies to your profile picture.

Face perception is one of the most highly developed skills in humans. It influences how people judge trustworthiness, enthusiasm and competence.

It’s critical to have a profile photo. You are seven times more likely to be considered for a job if you have one. It’s like selling a house – if there’s no photo – you wonder what’s wrong.

Many people choose scenery, kooky pictures or Twitter’s default “egg” profile shots – all fine – as long as you’re not hoping to look professional.

First rule: Choose a photo that actually looks like you.

Don’t laugh. Many people choose old photos when they were younger. As one recruiter said, if your photo is old enough to buy a drink at the bar, time to change it.

One of the truisms in marketing is that you don’t want to promise one thing, then deliver another. If people see a smiling 29 year-old in a profile pic, and a 41 year-old walks in for an interview, it ain’t good.

Some studies suggest that over 90% of recruiters use social media to screen candidates. And they spend a fifth of their time looking at profile photos.

In partnership with Princeton University, the site helps you test profile photos. So you upload your profile shot, then you are asked to rate 10 other people’s photos. Then people, in return, will rate your picture. And it’s all done anonymously.

Your photo is judged in three categories:

Competence.

Likeability.

And influence.

So I submitted my photo – the one currently on the “Episodes” page of this website.

The results were:

Competent – 70%

Likeable – 19%

Influential – 95%

HAHAHA.

I had to laugh. Then cry uncontrollably.

Photofeeler surveyed 60,000 ratings of 800 profile photos and suggests the following rules:

No sunglasses.
No selfies.
Smile – if your teeth are visible when you smile – even better.
Slightly squinch your eyes in a smiling way. Wide-open eyes suggests fear, or a sociopath.
Head and shoulders is better than face only.
Dress for the job you want.
No party or vacation pics.
And keep your head upright and straight. Apparently women, in particular, tend to tilt their heads in photos, which can make you look less self-assured.

Remember, it only takes 100 milliseconds for someone to draw conclusions about who you are based on a photo.

Contact

David Buzzard Photographydbuzzard@mac.com
(604) 938-4105
I might not be able to pick up the phone if I'm working or travelling, so please feel free to either leave a message, text, or e-mail me, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.